Can Topamax Be Taken Instead Of Zonegram For Epilepsy?

Posted on Sat, 29 Mar 2014

Question: I have epilepsy ran out of zonegram, can i take topamax instead since same faimly, and how much? Normal zonagram500mg vs topamax ?

Answered by Dr. Praveen (2 hours later)

Brief Answer: Topamax can be taken instead of Zonegran but with titration... Detailed Answer: Hi, Both topamax & zonegran are used as add on therapy for treatment of seizures. Anti-seizure drugs have to be gradually withdrawn over a few weeks to avoid the rebound of symptoms. Practically equivalent doses cannot be substituted since the brain gets habituated to these drugs at a particular dose over time. If I were to withdraw Zonegran, I would do it gradually over 2-4 weeks (reduce half the dose at a time) and parallelly introduce topamax (starting from lowest dose 100mg) and titrate the dose depending on it's ability to control the seizure episodes. Therefore in this circumstance, I recommend that you call your doctor and explain your situation. Perhaps he can fax prescriptions to you or call the pharmacist to dispense zonegran. Hope this answers your query. Regards

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad